1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of depositing a transparent electrically conductive niobium doped titania film on a substrate and the coated substrate made thereby, and more particularly, to applying the niobium doped titania film on glass substrates by a pyrolytic coating process, e.g. a chemical vapor deposition process, to provide a coated substrate that can be used, in the manufacture of, but not limited to, photovoltaic devices, electrodes for electro chromic-devices, electrically heatable vision panels for refrigerators and aircraft windows, organic light emitting diodes and low emissivity coatings for residential and commercial windows.
2. Discussion of the Presently Available Technology
Substrates, e.g. but not limited to, glass sheets having a transparent electrically conductive oxide film deposited on a surface are used in the manufacture of, but not limited to, thin film photovoltaic applications, electrical touch panels, electrodes for electro-chromic devices, organic light emitting diodes, electrically heated glass for anti-fog commercial refrigerator doors and for aircraft transparencies, and low emissivity coatings for residential and commercial windows, e.g. infra-red reflective windows. Of particular interest in the present discussion are transparent electrically conductive oxide films deposited by the chemical vapor deposition coating process usually referred to in the art as the CVD process, e.g. but not limited to the CVD processes disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,853,257; 5,356,718 and 7,413,767. The most common transparent electrically conductive oxide film deposited on glass by the CVD process is a tin oxide film usually doped with fluorine.
Although fluorine doped tin oxide films are acceptable for making transparent electrically conductive and infra-red reflective coatings, it can be appreciated by those skilled in the art that having additional transparent electrically conductive oxide films or coatings available reduces the usage of tin and provides a more competitive market for purchases of material for use in the manufacture of transparent conductive oxide films by the CVD coating process.